FORGIVENESS
Post-Lover's Walk
Fic By: Laura
Oz entered his house and threw a chair across the room, just barely missing a window. He was enraged. It had been a week and he was still hurting.
"Oz?" He heard his mother call alarmed.
"It's me mom!" he called out.
"Devon called. He wants to know if you're free for a rush job at the Bronze tomorrow night, apparently the other band cancelled or something."
Great, just great. Oz thought bitterly. "Thanks. I'll call him."
He went upstairs to call Devon and tell him he was sick. He really didn't want to go to the Bronze, to many memories.
Oz played with the band onstage at the Bronze the next night. Devon hadn't bought his 'sick' act and practically begged him to come.
His eyes began to scan the crowd. The usual people were there, including Buffy, Willow and Xander. He refused to look at them. When the first set was done he went for a drink when a hand touched his shoulder. He turned.
"Hey Buffy." He said solemly.
"Sit with us?" She asked.
"I can't." Oz informed her.
"Why not?"
"I can't bare to face it Buffy, I just can't." He walked off and sat with Devon and some girls that were all over his friend.
"What did he say?"
Buffy looked at Willow, and then at Xander, who were sitting at oppisite sides of the table. Xander was busy wallowing in misery and didn't really notice what was going on.
"He said no."
"Oh." Willow adverted her eyes.
"It'll take time Will." Buffy tried to comfort her friend.
"I know, it's just, I'm just, I'm." Willow stopped herself before the tears she had been holding back for the past few days fell.
Buffy glanced at Oz again. Cordelia, recently released from the hospital was sitting with him and Devon and his girls had left. "C'mon, I hafta patrol, you can help."
The slayer escorted her friend out of the Bronze before she started crying.
"Oz?"
"Hey Cordelia." He motioned for her to sit.
"Cordelia, I'm fine with talking to you but not about this. Okay?" Oz didn't look up from his drink.
"Yeah, I understand. It's just easier for me to be mad then to admit how much it hurts."
"I know. It hurts me too." He watched Willow and Buffy exit and resisted the urge to go and punch Xander in the face as hard as he could. The anger and hurt welled up inside of him as he went up and the band began their second set.
"I just want him to talk to me. I called him a few times and he hung up, and I waited at his locker but he would turn and leave if he saw me there." Willow sobbed. "I just miss him soo much."
Buffy had no words of sympathy, Willow had brought this upon herself, Willow and Xander. She knew Cordelia was too brokenhearted to give Xander another chance, and personally she didn't feel he deserved it. But Oz, well, she didn't know Oz very well, maybe he would come around. In the small conversation Buffy had with him, she could tell how much he was hurting.
She couldn't help but think of Angel, he would be awake now... she wanted to go to him... But she knew she couldn't.
The two girls, both deep in their own thought didn't even get the chance to hear the vampires approaching them from behind.
Oz slowly walked down the street. He didn't take his van to the Bronze, it held too many memories. There was a rustling in the bushes. He was no fool, this being the Hellmouth, he had brought a sharp stake with him for the walk home. Then it hit him. He could smell her. He could smell Willow. Once again she was nearby.
And in danger. As mad at her as he was he couldn't bear to think she might be hurt.
Quietly and carefully he followed the smell towards the park.
Willow dodged the attack of the vamp, there were three. Two of them were more concerned with Buffy, her being the slayer and all. Willow saw her oppurtunity and staked one vamp.
"WILLOW RUN!" Buffy yelled.
She saw five more vamps coming from the bushes.
Buffy and Willow split up and ran in different directions towards safety. Willow ran quickly blinded by her fear and right into someone's arms.
Oz quickly released her.
Three Vampires were running at them and they ran. "My house is overhere!" She yelled Unsure of what he was doing, Oz followed her into the house and she slammed the door shut.
They were alone. Warning signals went off in his brain.
Willow twitched nervously but didn't say anything.
Oz didn't look at her. Apparently his feet were more interesting.
"So..." She said finally.
He didn't say anything.
"I'm sorry." She whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. She left where she was standing in the foyer and sat on the couch, her head in her hands. Oz wasn't sure what was more painful, seeing her and Xander making out, or seeing her hurting like this. He wanted to leave but he could hear the vampires outside.The sound of her crying made him want to cry also.
"Please, just.. talk to me." She begged.
It took all of the self-control he had left not to break down completely.
"Oz, I'm sorry, I am so incredibly sorry with all my heart. I was stupid. I hate myself for doing this. I will beg and grovel to you for the rest of my life if that's what it takes for you to forgive me, or at least talk to me. I-" She stopped, crying too hard.
Oz wanted to take her in his arms, to say he forgave her, but something inside him prevented him from doing so.
She sat there crying as hard as she could. Willow desperately wanted to hear his voice. Even if it was for the last time.
Oz could stand it no more when her sobs increased. He pulled her into his arms and held her.
Willow cried on his shoulder. Muttering "I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry." over and over again.
"I know you are." he whispered. Once she had calmed down he spoke again."Just promise me, that you'll never do this to me ever again. I care about you too much Willow."
"I promise. Never ever ever ever ever ever." She shook her head. "All this made me realize that you're the one I wanted to be with. I think I only went to Xander because... well... You don't like smoochies much."
He surpressed a laugh. "Says who?" He kissed her and serious smoochies ensued.
All was well in Sunnydale... Well, not everything Xander was a moron, Cordelia was a wreck, and Buffy was sleeping.. with dreams of a certain demon in her head.